The Labour Prep Smoothie Recipe
If you'll be giving birth in the months to come, you might be wondering:
Do any foods bring on labour?
Can any foods make your labour shorter or more efficient?
Have you heard that spicy foods will do it? Or pineapple?
Most of the labour-starting foods people recommend aren't evidence based and will probably not help your labour at all, unfortunately!
On the other hand, these two foods:
Dates (like Medjool dates)
the herb red raspberry leaf
Do have some evidence, including randomized controlled trials, that suggest eating these foods in the weeks leading up to your labour might:
reduce your risk of getting induced
reduce your risk of medical intervention
reduce your risk of assisted delivery methods (like forceps)
shorten your active stage of labour
Keep reading for more about how dates and red raspberry leaf tea may support your labour, how to use them, and how to combine them in the delicious labour prep smoothie!
AND I’ve got you covered on what to eat for labour and birth to walk you through what you should eat during each stage of labour so you can feel totally prepared. And, for more ideas specific to where you’ll be birthing, check out Food and Snack Ideas to Bring to a Hospital Birth or What Food to Prep for a Fuelled Home Birth.
What to know about dates and how they may support your labour
Dates are a type of fruit that has lots of vitamins, minerals, and readily available sugars that can be absorbed and released quickly, making them an excellent snack during your labour!
The use of dates as a labour-aide comes from Traditional Persian Medicine (TPM) where dates have been used as a labour supporting food since ancient times in the Middle East, Iran, and India.
Some studies and meta-analyses on the topic have determined that women who ate dates regularly in the final weeks of their pregnancy were less likely to be induced, had improved cervical dilation, had shorter labours and were more likely to have vaginal births. Overall, dates are seen as a potential natural way to reduce the risk of c-section births.
Dates are thought to improve birth outcomes thanks to their nutritional composition. Dates have fatty acids and hormones in them that are thought to play a role in producing prostaglandins, which are needed for ripening your cervix and stretching and contracting your uterus, all of which need to happen for your labour and birth to progress!
How and when to use dates to support your labour
Dates are a healthy addition to your prenatal diet, and you don’t need to avoid eating dates until you are getting closer to your birth, as is often recommended with Red Raspberry Leaf Tea.
In terms of how many dates to eat and when to start for the benefits described above, the studies varied in that they assigned women to eat 3-10 dates a day, and begin eating them in the third trimester, usually daily for the last 4 weeks or so.
As dates have a higher sugar content, it’s a great idea to enjoy them with protein and fat containing foods. Some ideas are to make date-based energy balls (Like the seed-strong energy balls from The Food Doula Cookbook), stuff dates with peanut butter or goat cheese, wrap dates with prosciutto or other cured meats, or use them in a smoothie, like the Labour Prep Smoothie below!
What to know about Red Raspberry Leaf and how it may support your labour
Red Raspberry Leaf is a highly nutritive herb that has a long history of being used as a womens herb, especially in the stage of pregnancy and postpartum.
Red Raspberry Leaf has traditionally been used at the end of pregnancy to tone and strengthen the uterus, to increase the efficiency of the birth process.
This action is supported by research demonstrating that this herb does stimulate both the relaxation and contraction of smooth tissue, which is the mechanism of action for uterine contractions.
High quality evidence, however, demonstrating the benefits of raspberry leaf herb on specific labour and birth outcomes is not yet available, and the existing evidence is not clear.
Some small studies on the topic have not shown differences in birth and labour outcomes between women who were given red raspberry leaf vs. those who were not, whereas others have found clinical differences in outcomes like needing medical interventions like forceps at delivery and labour duration.
That being said, red raspberry leaf is a highly nutrient dense herb as it contains many minerals, including iron, lots of vitamins, and can be soothing to your nervous system, so it may be an excellent choice for your nourishment, regardless of any impact on your labour.
How and when to use red raspberry leaf to support your labour
If you choose to integrate red raspberry leaf into your end-of-pregnancy plan, it’s best to consult with a qualified healthcare provider first. Herbs are powerful and may not work the same way in everyone’s body - they may interact with medications you are taking, and may not be right for you.
Opinions differ in terms of when red raspberry leaf is safe to consume in pregnancy. Some people choose to begin drinking it as a tea at the beginning of their pregnancy, whereas most recommend waiting until the 3rd trimester or final weeks of pregnancy, due to the potential action of uterine contractions.
If you want to start integrating red raspberry leaf and dates into your meal routine, I recommend:
doing so for the last 4 weeks of your pregnancy (please check with your provider for individualized advice)
Combining these foods in a way that benefits your blood sugar balance and overall nutrition, like in this Labour Prep Smoothie
The Labour Prep Smoothie
This Labour Prep Smoothie from The Food Doula Cookbook is a blood sugar balancing, highly nutritious way to get in both dates and red raspberry leaf tea at the end of your pregnancy!
The red raspberry leaf tea, cooled and sweetened into an iced tea (recipe below!), makes up the base of the smoothie, and dates are combined with frozen raspberries, avocado, oats, collagen and flaxseed for lots of fibre, protein, and good fats.
The Labour Prep Smoothie is also a great choice for the third trimester because many women report getting full quickly thanks to baby taking over all of the room in their abdomen! This smoothie is super-packed and can give you a big nutrient boost in a drink form, as opposed to a large meal.
Raspberry Date Labour Prep Smoothie Recipe
2 cups iced raspberry leaf tea (see below for recipe)
1 cup frozen raspberries
¼ cup rolled oats
¼ cup frozen avocado chunks
3 medjool dates
2 tbsp (30 mL) collagen powder (optional)
1 tbsp (15 mL) ground flaxseed
1 tbsp (15 mL) lemon juice
How to make it:
1. Add all ingredients to your high-powered blender, and blend at high speed for 1 minute, or until smooth.
Iced Red Raspberry Leaf Tea Recipe (to prep in advance and use as a base for your smoothie!)
4 red raspberry leaf tea bags
4 cups (1 L) water
Juice of 1 lemon
1 tbsp (15 mL) honey
Ice, as desired
How to make it:
1. Bring the water to a boil and pour into a large glass jar along with the 4 tea bags. Let it steep about 15 minutes. Then remove tea bags.
2. Stir in the lemon juice and honey, and let it cool.
3. Serve over ice, keeping leftovers in the refrigerator for several days.
What else should you eat to support your labour, birth, and postpartum healing? Find more recipes and step-by-step guidance in the Labour and Birth Nutrition Guide!